Losing Staal, the team’s No. 1 defenseman, for any amount of
time would be a crushing blow, but is it really time to be searching for a
veteran defenseman?

Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh and Sauer should occupy three of
the top four blueline spots to start the season, which leaves Steve Eminger,
Michael Del Zotto, Tim Erixon, Brendan Bell, Pavel Valentenko and Tomas Kundratek
to battle for the remaining roster spots.

If Staal is indeed going to miss significant time, then as
many as four of those six players could be on the opening night roster.But Tortorella seems intent on adding a
veteran to the mix.

So even if Girardi, McDonagh, Sauer, Eminger and Erixon are penciled
into the lineup, the team could still need another defenseman or two.

Of course, the crucial component to the blueline formula is
Staal’s health.If Tortorella isn’t
satisfied with the play of his blueliners at camp, then bringing in a veteran
might be a prudent move.But if he’s
growing increasingly worried that Staal could miss a significant portion of the
season, it could become a necessity in a hurry.